Tornado Watch 779

Issued

Dec 17, 2002, 10:40 PM CST (04:40 UTC)

Expired

Dec 18, 2002, 4:00 AM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 180441
SEL9  
SPC WW 180440
ARZ000-ILZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-181000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 779
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1040 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTHWEST ARKANSAS                           
   WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS                           
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS                             
   CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI                           
   NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA                           

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 1040 PM
UNTIL 400 AM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 75 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF TULSA OKLAHOMA TO
20 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALTON ILLINOIS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 778.  WATCH NUMBER 778 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1040 PM
CST.

DISCUSSION...CLUSTERS OF SEVERE/SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST KS AND SOUTHWEST MO.  OTHER ACTIVITY MAY
DEVELOP IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS OVER NORTHEAST OK.  ALL ACTIVITY WILL
TRACK NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS MO AND INTO WEST CENTRAL IL OVERNIGHT. 
VERY FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS AND SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY
SUGGEST A CONTINUED THREAT OF TORNADOES...AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS
AND LARGE HAIL.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

370,0962 401,0894 380,0894 345,0962

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2002Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2002Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2002Every tornado watch in 2002

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.